Semi-finals: Italy - Spain

[brehme1989]

As for Pedri, what a gem!

But he suffers a lot from a facial perspective. Looks like the creepy asshole in a teen movie.

 

[Fapuccino]

We can rag on Morata all we want, but if Italy had him upfront they’d close these games 30 mins earlier.

 

[brakbrak]

God damn, in the beginning of the tournament I thought reaching semi was already an accomplishment. Forza Azzuri and Mancini!

 

[J..]

As for Pedri, what a gem!

But he suffers a lot from a facial perspective. Looks like the creepy asshole in a teen movie.

So a new Busquets?

 

[ADRossi]

Oh, man. I've had my heart in my mouth for the last three hours. Definitely not our best match, but not sure Spain deserved to win either.

This was a typical Spain performance. Lots of possession, lots of passes, but very little in the way of end product or real goal scoring chances.

The real question moving forward is what Mancini does about Immobile. He's been a horror show in two consecutive matches. Do you risk starting him in the final?

 

[Glass box]

Honestly it cant be Mancio but a lookalike as it isnt the Mancio I know with defensive stubborn football and way too late substitutes.

Honestly I am amazed by him and his Italy. Watched few games during the qualifiers and they played great there too, but I thought, Mancio won't repeat this in the Euros, he'll be conservative, but no, guy just kept going.

 

[vex]

Dude confessed he has mental issues, and he is taking your decisive penalty.
He shouldn't be at the stadium during penalties, let alone taking it.

Happy for italy, although they showed their limitations.

 

[brehme1989]

So a new Busquets?

Nah, Busquets is barely above average overall but excels in a couple of things so he gets overrated.

Pedri is the real deal.


One aspect of the game I didn't like was how Mancini made Di Lorenzo, who was one of his top 3 players imo before the switch, a complete non-factor, by turning him into some sort of inverted left back. And Toloi at right back makes no sense, I was expecting an odd 3-5-2 there but this was clearly Mancio trying to remind us that he's still the same guy.

The only Italian PK I feared wasn't going in - before the kick - was Bernardeschi's.

Anyhow, what matters now is that Italy is in the final, that was the quest and it has been achieved. Also, @Bluenine probably started smoking again

On that note, I spotted 3 Inter jerseys during the game and one odd of the Italian basketball national team. None from other clubs.

 

[pupivn]

Olmo and Pedri are so good.
Morata giveth Morata taketh, I guess he still wants to return to Turin

 

[NimAraya]

Honestly it cant be Mancio but a lookalike as it isnt the Mancio I know with defensive stubborn football and way too late substitutes.

Mancio changed his style after his first season with Inter.

We can rag on Morata all we want, but if Italy had him upfront they’d close these games 30 mins earlier.

Dont think so. I think Even Morata could do better than Immobile and Belotti. Italia is really struggling upfront.

 

[thatdude]

We can rag on Morata all we want, but if Italy had him upfront they’d close these games 30 mins earlier.

Close how? In a loss?

 

[brehme1989]

lol

 

[YoramG]

Jorginho is ice fucking cold man.

Also, how on earth does Luis Enrique keep Marcos Llorente on the bench for that long, what a shit show. He definitely set the team up well, but personnel choices were very odd.

 

[Batman]

We can rag on Morata all we want, but if Italy had him upfront they’d close these games 30 mins earlier.

Uhmm.. no

 

[Jnr]

Best fucking match this whole month, it had it all, 2 very even teams with brilliant coaches. Luis Enrique has built a monster tbh, so has Mancio. Penalties are a lottery and we saw Spain weak spots in previous pens. Jorginho, what a cool cold brutal finishing. Barella, Bastoni one step away from legendary status, as 22and 24 year olds.

Also ZERO BBILAN PLAYERS. GIGIOOOO

 

[TheNetworkZ]

I hate having no choice but to watch these games with English commentators. Always pro-Spain and anti-Italia. I want nothing more than to destroy England in the finals now.

 

[I'mNewHere]

Nah, Busquets is barely above average overall but excels in a couple of things so he gets overrated.

Pedri is the real deal.


One aspect of the game I didn't like was how Mancini made Di Lorenzo, who was one of his top 3 players imo before the switch, a complete non-factor, by turning him into some sort of inverted left back. And Toloi at right back makes no sense, I was expecting an odd 3-5-2 there but this was clearly Mancio trying to remind us that he's still the same guy.

The only Italian PK I feared wasn't going in - before the kick - was Bernardeschi's.

Anyhow, what matters now is that Italy is in the final, that was the quest and it has been achieved. Also, @Bluenine probably started smoking again

On that note, I spotted 3 Inter jerseys during the game and one odd of the Italian basketball national team. None from other clubs.

This just shows you have 0 understanding of football, calling Busquets barely above average, jesus christ some people. Have you ever played football yourself ?

 

[brehme1989]

This just shows you have 0 understanding of football, calling Busquets barely above average, jesus christ some people. Have you ever played football yourself ?

New guy, you probably have the worst takes on football talent on this site, you don't wanna go there.

As for what "above average" in this sense means, it obviously does not mean above average from the tens of millions who play the sport around the globe, but for the level he's expected to be playing. For that level, he's just barely above average yes. Quite easily replaceable for a team like Barcelona during all these years.

He's not a good defender, he's not a great passer, he's not a great shooter, he's not a good runner, he's a shit tackler, he's not a great marker but he's very good at first time passing whether it is to recover the ball or receive it from a teammate [which isn't related to quality forward passing, but it's mostly lateral/close range passing], excellent tactically & in terms of positioning and solid in the air. That's Busquets. You could find 15 more of these guys, despite the praise he keeps getting for laying the ball to Messi and getting credit for Messi spinning around 7 defenders till he scores! Just another player who gets hyped because he was at Barcelona who has a policy of not eating its own children. The same Barcelona that people tried to force feed us Oleguer as a quality defender or Valdes as a top GK...

Yes, Busquets has his uses, but he's overrated as fuck. Replace him with someone like De Jong*, Jorginho, Verratti etc and you have an instant upgrade.

* Oops, he already kinda has...

 

[ADRossi]

People, you can disagree with each other without being dicks.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

A little reminder that there's still a reasonable chance a coach who once fielded a midfield of Melo-Medel-Kondogbia will lift the trophy.